Floating deck for reservoirs



Nov. 5, 1929. A. M. GRIFFIN FLOATING DECK FOR RESERVOIRS 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 Filed Sept. 27. 1927 Nov. 5, 1929.

FLOATING DECK FOR RESERVOIRS Filed Sept. 27, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwucntoa A. M. GRIFFIN 1,734,623

Patented Nov. 5, 1929 UNITED" STATES MENTS, TO CONSOLIDATED STEEL CORPORATION, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A

CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA PATENT OFFICE.

ALVAE M. GRIFFIN, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- FLOATING DECK FOR RESERVOIRS Application filed September 27,1927. Serial No. 222,330.

This invention relates to a floating deck for a reservoir, such, for example, as is used for the storage of petroleum oil.

Heretofore tanks such as oil tanks have is characterized by the fact that its side walls are madeslanting downwardly and inwardly with the result that the area of the top of the liquid stored in the reservoir varies with the amount of liquid in the reservoir. Accordingly, if a floating deck is provided for covering the surface of the liquid in any particular position, the floating deck will be too large or too small in area when a different volume of liquid is in the reservoir. An object of the present invention is to provide a floating deck for a reservoir which is adapted to cover the entire surface of the liquid in the reservoir and insulate the same against evaporation losses.

Another object of the invention is to provide a form of floating deck for a reservoir which has its peripheral portion constructed to be landed and supported by the slanting side walls of the reservoir as the liquid in the reservoir drops in height and which is further so constructed that as the liquid in the reservoir is increased in height or volume the peripheral sections of the floating deck supported on theside walls of the reservoir will automatically join with the floating portions of the deck contacting therewith and' form a substantially tight seal over the body of liquid in the reservoir. 4 I

Various further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the description of a preferred form or forms panying drawings the preferred forms or examples of floating decks embodying the inventidn. Referring to the drawings Figure 1 represents a plan view of a reservoir with the floating deck removed? Figure 2 is a plan view of a section of a reservoir with the floating deck in place, the figure'being on an enlarged scale;

' Figure 3 is a further; enlarged fragmentary geriaiical section of the reservoir and floating ec 7' Figure 4 is a plan view of a fragment of the floating deck showing the attaching means between certain adjacent sections of the-deck;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective of the upper part of the attaching means, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary elevation of a reservoir and floating deck showing a modified form of construction.

Referring to the drawings:

1 indicates a reservoir for the storage of oil or otherliquid, such reservoir being indicated as of the usual oval shape with slanting side walls 2. 3 generally indicates the floating deck which is employed to insulate the top of the liquid against evaporation and to reduce the fire hazard. Said floating deck 3 is indicated as preferably of the pontoon type, i. e., formed of a plurality of air tight members 4. A portion of the floating deck which is designed for covering the liquid above the bottom wall 5 of the reservoir is shown as having its individualpontoons 4 attached together at one or more points 6 so that such portion of the floating deck is a substantially rigid body of fixed area. Any particular form of construction of the pontoons and attachment of the same togethermay be employed but preferably the same are constructed attached together "13 to one end of the links 11.

as described in the co-pending application of Charles R. Gallagher, filed June 12, 1926 Serial No. 115,453, floating decks for oil tanks or the like.

The peripheral portion of the floating deck 3 is shown as composed of a number of con centric series of pontoon members 7 or other floating members, these pontoon members being provided for covering that portion of the liquid within the reservoir which is located over the slanting side walls 2. Each of said series of pontoon members 7 is provided with joint cover plates 8, one end of which is attached to the members 7 as indicated at 9 and the other end of which extends free from the edge of the pontoons and extends over the space between the pontoon members and the adjacent pontoon members. These plates 8 operate in use to cover the intervening space between adjacent series of pontoon members 7 and thus provide a complete closure over the top of the liquid within the reservoir 1.

Each of the series of pontoon members is attached to the next succeeding series of pontoon members in a radial line, the attaching means being constructed to permit the distance between the pontoons to automatically vary as required in operation of the floating deck. The attaching means is constructed as shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive by the provision of links 10 and 11, the links 10 being pivoted at one end 12 to one of the series of pontoon members and have their opposite ends pivoted as indicated at The other ends of the links 11 are pivoted as indicated at 14.tothe adjacent pontoon member.

The pivot connections between the links 10 and 11 and the series of pontoon members are of similar construction and are best illustrated in Figure 4. The pontoon members 7 have their side walls 15 extending vertically upward above the top walls of the pontoons in order to provide vertical peripheral flanges on the pontoons. The links 10 and llare pivoted upon rods 16 and the rods 16 have their ends journalled in bearing members 17 and 18. The bearing membearing is provided with webs 19 by which bers 17 and 18 are mounted in adjacent pontoon members of the same series and each they are bolted to one of the flanges of the pontoon 7 and is also provided with webs 20 by means of which they are secured to flanges of the pontoon members between adjacent pontoon members of the series. Preferably the webs 20 are secured by bolts 21 and said bolts 21 are constructed of suflicient length as to provide for a substantial amount of play between the adjacent pontoon members whereby the pontoon members may spread apart as required in operation. These bolts connect adjacent pontoon members which are arranged in a circular or oval series around the floating deck.

The links 10 and 11 at the hinge 13 are provided with stops 22 and 23, respectively,

ing. The links may be extended to a position where the pontoon members 7 are permitted to spread apart as they land upon thesloping walls 2 of the reservoir just the distance necessary to keep the center of the pontoon members 7 in substantially the same vertical line as the center of the pontoon members occupy when floating upon the liquid.

It is obvious that when the pontoon members 7 are disposed against the sloping bank or wall 2 of the reservoir they must cover a greater area than when floating upon the surface of the liquid. It is therefore necessary to provide a means for extending the position between the pontoon members. It is also necessary, if the entire surface of the reservoir is to be covered, that a means be provided for covering the space between the pontoon members. The plates 8 serve this purpose. The upper series of pontoon members is indicated as hinged to the top of the side wall 2 of the reservoir, so that the series of pontoons are prevented from sliding down the sides of the reservoir.

Now referring to Figure 6 of the drawings,a modified form of construction is therein illustrated in which the reservoir 1 is shown having a floating deck which floating deck is provided with a central portion 4 which may be formed vof a plurality of air tight pontoon members which are attached together to make asubstantially rigid central portion for the floating deck. The periph eral portion of the floating deck which works over the sloping sides 2 of the reservoir is preferably formed of a plurality of oval or circular series of pontoon members 7. Each series of pontoon members 7 at its inner end is indicated as pivoted to a sealed plate or plates 8 which extend over onto the adjacent pontoons and are of suflicient length to cover the space between the series of pontoons when the same are in the extended position. The bottoms of the pontoon members 7 are preferably provided with tapering walls 24 to which are attached chains 25 connecting the adjacent series of pontoon members 7*. The chains 25 are formed of just suflicient length as to permit the adjacent series of pontoon members 7 to spread apart when they land upon the sloping banks 2 the necessary dis tance to maintain the centers of the pontoons thereof substantially in the same vertical line that they are intended to occupy when floating. The outer series of pontoon members 7 a is indicated as having its outer sides pivotally attached as indicated at 26 to the sloping sides of the reservoir. This prevents the series of pontoon members which are designed to be landed upon the side walls 2 of the reservoir from sliding or being pulled downwardly into the bottom of the reservoir.

Each of the forms of the invention herein described provides a means for covering substantially the entire surface of a reservoir with floating members and provides a means by which the peripheral portion of the floating deck may be properly landed upon the sloping sides of the reservoir. The floating deck of the present invention maintains over the liquid within the reservoir a blanket of air which insulates against the transfer of heat to the oil and thereby maintains evaporation at a minimum. It also eliminates the presence of explosive mixtures of oil vapors and air above the liquid in the reservoir.

While the particular forms of the invention herein described are well adapted to carry out the object of the present invention, various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the invention and the invention includes all such changes which come within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a reservoir having sloping side walls, of a floating deck having a peripheral portion including a plurality of peripheral series of floating members and means for attaching said series of members together, saidmeansincluding means adapted to permit the distance between adjacent series of members to increase when said members are landed on the sloping side walls of the reservoir. Y

2. The combination with a reservoir having sloping side walls, of a floating deck'having a peripheral portion including a plurality of concentric peripheral series of floating members; and means for attaching said series of members together, said means including means adapted to permit the distance between the series of members to increase in order to land the members on the sloping sides and hold the same in substantially the same vertical line that the members occupy when floating upon liquid in said reservolr.

3. The combination with a reservoir having sloping side walls, of a floating deck having a peripheral portion includin a plurality of series of floating members, t e outer series being attached to the side wall of the reservoir, the difierent series being attached together.

4. The combination with a reservoir having sloping side walls, of a floating deck having a peripheral portion formed of a plurality of series of floating members, the outer series of members being attached to the side wall of the reservoir, means attaching the 

